Raspberry Pi Zero W as Smart TV Box: Android TV, USB Power, and 1080p Support Questions

Hello. I have a TV without a smart tv. I would like to make a Smart TV Box at a fairly low cost. The choice fell on the Raspberry Pi Zero W. Therefore, I have a few questions.

1. Is it possible to install Android TV on Raspberry Pi Zero W or only Kodi and similar?

2. Can it be done with the TV (TV has USB but I don't know if it has enough power)?

3. Will this model support 1080p resolution?

Pi Zero and Android do not go hand in hand, and do not expect miracles after kodi - it should be as OK as you set the interface resolution to max. 1280x720p
If the TV gives power to USB all the time or from being turned on, yes, but remember that Kodi takes a while to start up. Standard USB has the most power to power the Pi Zero
There is a difference between handling and comfortably using - this resolution (and even greater) is available and supported by RPi Zero, but I recommend a certain amount of patience in such a system
You'd better go out investing in a newer Pi3 model - it's not that expensive and much more efficient

And if I were to buy a "standard" Raspberry Pi, wouldn't it be better a 4B model? Besides, I found the 3 A + model which is reasonably priced. What do you think about him? I do not have Ethernet at home, only Wi-Fi.

Unfortunately, I only have RPi 3B + (works with Kodi) and from the previous 2B (works as DNS with Pi-Hole) you would have to look for the differences between A and B but the three of them are already pretty cool. I also do not know what the Kodi status on 4B looks like because there were some problems. I'm getting ready to buy a private 4B, but as long as everything jumps on Pi Zero, it somehow comes together At work, I have Rasbian on 4B and with 4GB of frame it is almost like PCet (so older but still great)
Read on the net how work on 4B may have already dealt with the problems.
Unfortunately, for these devices you already need a good power supply and forget about 4B power supply from ordinary USB in the TV
Also remember that Pi4b has other HDMI micro HDMI connectors, and the 3B has a regular full-size (pI Zero has a miniHDMI)

Zwiado123 wrote:

And if I were to buy a "standard" Raspberry Pi, wouldn't it be better a 4B model?

You can buy a Mi Box TV for this money, and it certainly works.

Well, the Mi Box is also cool and additionally has a remote control, but there is one minus, depending on the manufacturer

I will still think over the Mi Box, but the Raspberry Pi 3 B or 3 B + need higher power supply that USB offers on the TV? And is the 3 B + model a fairly stable and well supported Raspberry?

Zwiado123 wrote:

Raspberry Pi 3 B or 3 B + need higher power supply that USB offers on the TV?

Yes, for 3B it is worth having a good power supply with 2A performance, standard USB is 0.5A. With full CPU load (without active HDMI), it can consume up to ~ 1A, when you add WiFi and HDMI communication, etc., it will probably reach 1.5A at peak.

Zwiado123 wrote:

And is the 3 B + model a fairly stable and well supported Raspberry?

Yes, it is a well-supported model, as well as most RPi Only new models have weaker support at the beginning, but the community is so large that the differences are eliminated quite quickly. Anyway, Raspberry is one of the best supported projects in this segment.

Can the Raspberry Pi 3 B + be connected so that it starts up with the TV? Any device that would detect the voltage on the USB and give the voltage on the Raspberry?

I am not a fan of shutting down systems such as linux sharply (then sometimes file system errors are made) but the easiest way is a 5V relay controlled from USB or some MOSFET - read on the network, you will assemble yourself without a problem

n6210 wrote:

I am not a fan of shutting down systems such as linux sharply (then sometimes file system errors are made) but the easiest way is a 5V relay controlled from USB or some MOSFET - read on the network, you will assemble yourself without a problem

The matter is important. Because of which you wrote, such a system works for a short time.
In order for such a system to work properly, it must first initiate shutdown and then, after a safe shutdown, turn off the power. You can define the Power and Shutdown pins controlled by the system, but the power control system gets complicated. Ready-made similar systems can be bought to control 3D printers and adapted.
There is also something like HDMI - CEC, which is supported by RPi, but I do not know if it is in this direction (you should read).
Better to leave it upstream all the time.
I personally would not like to put such a monster somewhere near the TV.

starob wrote:

Better to leave it upstream all the time.
I personally would not like to put such a monster somewhere near the TV.

I have Rpi turned on all the time, because when idle it doesn't cut a lot of electricity, and its "monstrosity" ( ) can be hidden in one of a thousand cases.
Regarding these reboots, I used to use something called openElec and this Kodi distro had a RO filesystem and was much better at restarts,
however, now it probably is not being developed - I can see libreElec but I don't know if there is the same approach.